This year, M-A has welcomed 16 new teachers, each bringing unique experiences and skills to our community. Learn about each of these new staff members and their hopes for the upcoming school year.
Ben Hua
Algebra 1 and Geometry
Math teacher Ben Hua is a San Jose native who attended Evergreen Valley High School. He studied education science at UC Irvine before getting his Master’s in Education at San Jose State University. This job is Hua’s first teaching position, and he is ready to take on a new professional pursuit. “M-A is perfect. All the students are really kind and want to learn,” he said. “Everyone’s been giving me a warm welcome and I’m very appreciative of it.”
Hua’s goal is to bring students together. “M-A has a very diverse demographic, and I want to bridge gaps between students where there’s a possible disconnect,” he said.
You can find Hua in D-17.
Evan Lee
Geometry
Evan Lee, raised in Los Altos, originally wanted to become a doctor. However, while taking a gap year, Lee discovered his love for teaching through the organization Teach for America. “Some people go in [Teach for America] saying, ‘I want this to boost my resume.’ But for me, I truly wanted to try it out,” Lee said. Before M-A, he taught high school in San Jose for six years.
Lee hopes to teach students real-world skills using math. “I hope my students see math as not just solving an equation or working with numbers, but using logic and building skills that are important outside of the classroom,” Lee said.
You can find Lee in D-11.
Manja McMills
Finite Math and AP Computer Science Principles
Finite Math teacher Manja McMills taught at M-A from 2005 to 2022. After working as a data scientist for two years, McMills is now returning to teach computer science. “I learned I really liked computer science from being a data scientist, and I’d like to encourage more people to go into that field,” she said. “Since I’m new to teaching computer science principles, I hope to do a good job and help prepare students for the AP.”
You can find McMills in D-15.
Armando Castillo
Algebra 1 and Integrated Math
Math teacher Armando Castillo grew up in Redwood City and went to Sequoia High School. Before becoming a teacher, he was a bilingual community liaison at M-A, where he academically and emotionally supported students. “There were many students that I worked with that hated math. That’s part of why I wanted to become a math teacher, just to change their perspective,” Castillo said. “Especially ninth graders. If a student has a good experience in a ninth grade class, it shapes the rest of their academic career.”
You can find Castillo in D-20.
Jakob Lopez
Algebra 1 and Algebra 2
After attending high school in Monterey, Jakob Lopez studied math at San Francisco State University, where he obtained his master’s. Lopez previously taught at James Lick Middle School and San Francisco International High School, but chose M-A due to its proximity to his home.
Lopez’s first impression of M-A is very positive. “It’s a great school: a really lively community, a lot of great programs, and the students here are awesome,” he said.
You can find Lopez in D-21.
Anna Fisher
Algebra 1 and Geometry
San Francisco local Anna Fisher started her teaching journey in Baltimore, Maryland. After returning to the Bay Area, she taught at Downtown College Prep before coming to M-A. “M-A has such a great combination of opportunities for students,” she said. “When I was interviewed, I felt excited about working here.”
Fisher has high hopes for the upcoming school year. “I hope that I’m able to help students understand math better, that I can meet all their needs, and that they will be able to come out of my class feeling that they’ve learned something meaningful,” she said.
You can find Fisher in G-22.
Alexus Torres
ELA Intervention, English 1 Integrated Support, and Multicultural Literature and Voice
East Palo Alto native Alexus Torres first worked as counselor for the Los Angeles Unified School District before coming to M-A. “I really found myself enjoying being around students and helping out young folks,” she said. “This is something I really wanted to do—I’m passionate about it and I’m really passionate about English.”
Torres wants to expand on her teaching abilities this upcoming school year. “I’m still learning a lot, and I learn from my students every day,” she said. “I just hope to be somebody students can rely on and feel comfortable with exploring English and exploring their ever-growing lives.”
You can find Torres in G-04.
Alan Eaton
AS English 2 and Latin
M-A alum Alan Eaton began teaching at Woodside High school before coming to teach at M-A. “M-A has changed so much since I was a student here. It’s a lot bigger compared to what we had,” he said.
Eaton looks forward to a thrilling school year. “I really love working with students, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to meet new people and learn Latin together.” he said.
You can find Eaton in E-12.
James Bohac
AP Physics I
James Bohac, hailing all the way from Cumberland, Rhode Island, started working at M-A as a long term substitute. “Mr. [Steven] Kryger encouraged me, and I thought it was fun. So that’s how I decided to become a teacher,” he said. “I like teaching teenagers.”
After teaching at Carlmont for many years, Bohac is returning to M-A to teach one section of AP Physics 1 while still teaching four sections of physics, engineering, and green technology at Carlmont. “I hope I survive the upcoming school year because I’m in a unique situation,” he said.
You can find Bohac in S-11.
Dawn Tower Irvine
Digital Photography 1
Menlo Park local Dawn Tower Irvine taught at Everest High School before joining M-A. M-A’s large student and teacher populations stood out to Tower. “When you have a small staff like that, you’re not only teaching, but you’re doing so many other things,” Tower said about Everest. “I wanted to be somewhere where I could just concentrate on my classroom.”
Tower has high hopes for this upcoming school year. “I hope my students learn to love photography—with an actual camera—and learn the rules of photography and then learn how to break them,” Tower said.
You can find Tower in I-02.
Viviana Rodriguez
Spanish 2 and Spanish 2 Native Speakers
Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Viviana Rodriguez taught at Summit Prep before coming to M-A. From the minute Rodriguez stepped on school, she liked it. “I remember I went home and told my husband, ‘I really like the vibe of the school, and I really like Ms. Adrian Perkins.’ She was super nice,” Rodriguez said. “So my first impression was good,”
Rodriguez has long-term hopes for the upcoming school year and beyond. “My hope is to stay here until I retire. But that is just my hope. You never know—life is life.” Rodriguez said.
You can find Rodriguez in E-7.
Amy Law
Algebra 1 and Algebra 2
Algebra teacher Amy Law grew up in Milpitas and went to UC Davis for college. There, she pursued biochemistry and got her degree in computer science. Before teaching at M-A, she taught high school in Los Angeles. “I’m really passionate about working with students—I love interacting with them every single day. And I love math, so I decided to combine the two together, and that’s why I’m here,” Law said.
You can find Law in D-10.
Zoe Mahony
Ethnic Studies and AP U.S. History
Bay Area native Zoe Mahony is a new Ethnic Studies and AP US History teacher. She studied women’s history and gender studies and minored in creative writing at Stanford. “It was important to me to be in a community where people obviously cared about the students and were doing their best by them,” Mahony said. “I also wanted to work in the area where I grew up, because I feel like I have a better understanding of the challenges and strengths that a lot of us have here in the area.”
You can find Mahony in B-03.
Matthew Butts
Career and Technical Education Wood 1, 2
Woodshop teacher Matthew Butts went to Cal State Northridge and grew up in Tulare. Before coming to M-A, he worked as a substitute in the District and a PE and Health teacher at SFUSD.
“I’ve worked in this district before, and I’m kind of familiar with it and the campus, and I just couldn’t let that opportunity pass by, because the person before it was working here for almost 40 years,” Butts said. “I figured it’s like a once-in-a-career opportunity to be able to teach the shop class, and so I bounced on it.”
You can find Butts in S-05.
Tom Galvin
Ethnic Studies and U.S. History EML
Sunset District local Tom Galvin is arriving at M-A with a great deal of experience. Galvin taught middle school for 13 years, and then taught a year at Mercy High School and five years at Half Moon Bay High school.
“My junior year United States History teacher seemed like he was having a lot of fun, and it was one of the first classes that I truly enjoyed,” Galvin said. “I could see myself doing a similar thing, and I am now in my 21st year as a teacher, and I couldn’t really imagine what other job I would do.”
You can find Galvin in B-11.
Calvin Ye
Ethnic Studies and U.S. History
San Francisco local Calvin Ye studied history at UCLA and got his teaching credentials and Master’s of Education at Stanford. Ye has taught for 15 years at different middle schools and high schools around the area.
Ye has high hopes for the school year. “For me, I just hope to be seen and known. My goal as a first year teacher is to be seen by my students, the parents and my colleagues as an effective teacher,” Ye said. “I want them to find that I bring value to the school.”
You can find Ye in B-05.
